There’s a new effort in Lancaster County to stop DUI offenders from doing it again.

If a person is charged with DUI in Lancaster, he or she might not feel like a lawbreaker right away with tangible consequences not occurring until a year or year and a half after the incident when they go to court.

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Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman has changed that with a new DUI repeat-offender program.

"A lot times what you see is these people who are out on bail for a repeat offense because no one is dealing with the issue,” Stedman said.

Now police will deal with it right away, and suspected drunk drivers will be arrested and arraigned in court immediately.

If they don't take you to jail that day, you will be ordered not to drink and will have to wear a monitoring bracelet.

"People who are on the monitoring system will have greater incentive to get their case resolved sooner because many people don't want to have a bracelet," Stedman said.

Between 300 and 400 DUI offenses a year are repeat offenders. That means one in every five drunk drivers in Lancaster County has been caught before.

This summer, the death of a recent high school graduate caused by a suspected repeat drunk driver spurred this program on.

"Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a tragedy like Meredith Demko to get the attention of some people," Stedman said. "Not everything that I do is pleasing or happy, so to speak, but this is one of those days where it is because you know it's going to make a difference."

The program also includes a curfew.

York County has a similar repeat-offender program.

Stedman says he would like to eventually see the rules apply statewide.